Volé
by ItEndsWithAFirstKiss
Summary: No Cosette and no barricade. Eponine decides to live on the street instead of joining the lovely ladies in the docks. How will everybody feel about this? Marius x Eponine. Not that sad. Have fun. Thanks for reading.
1. Volé Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _"Eponine?" A soft voice called her name. She perked up at the sound of it. She turned around and saw her mother. Madame Thenardier looked older, somehow, than she had this morning. Her mother wasn't exactly young and spritely. But, she never looked like a sad woman who'd lost herself years ago. Until now._

 _"Eponine, I have some bad news for you. I think it's best if you sit down." Eponine cocked her head. If something awful had happened, it wouldn't be like her mother to want to tell her so nicely. Madame Thenardier cared for her more than her father did, but that still wasn't very much. This was more than concerning for her._

 _"What is it, Mother?" She asked worriedly as she took an uncomfortable seat in the rickety, old, wooden chair._

 _"Eponine," she began, looking down, wringing her hands, "you're seventeen." She nodded, slowly._

 _"We're losing more money than ever before. With the upped security, your father's job is becoming more difficult." Her father's job, if you could even call it that, was thievery. Pickpocketing and things of the like weren't as easy with guards patrolling the streets._

 _"Your father," her voice hitched in her throat, but she finished her statement. "He wants to sell you to the pier." Horror cascaded over Eponine's face. She knew her father was desperate and greedy. She knew he barely cared for her at all. But, she assumed he would care at least enough to not sell her into_ prostitution. _She was too shocked to speak._

 _"Please," her mother pleaded, tears springing into her eyes, "if I try to reason with him, he'll just overpower me. Eponine, I know you don't think I care about you, but I do. The life we live is a harsh one. I had to act that way to you for the most of your life so you would be ready for the world around you." She didn't know what to feel. Eponine wanted to hug her mother and cry into her shoulder. But, she also wanted to yell and scream in her face about how awfully she had treated her and her siblings._ _Her own children. Her mother was a coward. Eponine already knew that._

 _"Get away from here. Please. Find somewhere else to live." She had nowhere to go. The streets of Paris weren't exactly the most inviting place in the world. They were cold and dark. Always and forever. As she rose from the seat, she knew that getting out of that hell hole was the best thing she could do for herself. She knew the horrible things that would happen if she stayed. She knew she was young and had a life ahead of her. Something that she could make for herself, somehow._

 _She knew she couldn't go live with Gavroche and help him. She hadn't seen him in years. Where would he even be, now? She couldn't go live in the café. It housed too many people already. Eponine would have to live on the streets. Homeless._

 _Eponine didn't look back at her mother when she stepped outside with her measly handful of belongings. All she could look at was the cool ground beneath her feet. And all she could think about was how that was her knew home._


	2. Volé Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _"Okay," Enjolras said, addressing the group, "I guess I'll see you all in the next meeting, then." A chorus of 'alright's came from his friends. Eponine was among them. Why wouldn't she be? She didn't have many other people to talk to._

 _The only people she could talk to were Les Amis. She avoided the inn as much as she possibly could. She avoided her father and his gang for obvious reasons. But, if you asked her why she refused to talk to her mother, the woman that brought her into this world, she wouldn't be able to give you a straight answer. Eponine had to keep her head down, not talk to strangers. She had no protection anymore. No home to run to. Just a designated corner. She could curtly talk to those that she bought from or the kind folk that would offer money to the less fortunate. But, she avoided all contact outside of that._

 _There were too many possible dangers. The Patron Minette, for instance, she did_ not _wish to run into. Some of the members would probably try and take from her what she had left the inn to not have stolen. Those with disease, as well. Her family could hardly afford medications, before. If she contracted a sickness, now, who knows what would happen?_

 _Before Eponine could exit Café Musain, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She instinctively turned around. Marius. Her breath caught in her throat as a smile spread onto her lips._

 _"Hi," she said._

 _"Hello," he answered. Marius looked concerned. Scared even. Eponine cocked her head._

 _"What's with the long face?" She didn't like it when he looked like that._

 _"Eponine," his eyes glanced up and down her body, "you look like death." She_ did _look gaunt. But, Eponine knew that. She hardly ate. Her ribs could easily be seen through the rags she called a dress. The street rat had been saving up her money so she could buy a flat instead of using the money to buy food. When she_ did _eat, it was only food stolen directly from a restaurant or vendor. And she only ate when she knew she absolutely needed to._

 _"Why, thank you for your compliment, Monsieur," Eponine said sarcastically. He didn't laugh._

 _"No, 'Ponine, I'm serious. You're clearly not getting enough food. You're starving." She was aware, very aware._

 _"Please, let me buy you some food."_

 _"Marius, I can take care of myself."_

 _"I know you can. But," he glanced up and down her body again, "you clearly aren't, now."_

 _"I'm not gonna have you spend money on me." Eponine could talk to Marius for hours on end. She really could. But, not about this. Not about her being a burden. She briskly turned away and started to walk in the opposite direction of Marius. He grabbed her shoulder before she could get too far. She turned around again._

 _"Eponine, please."_

 _"_ No. _" And she ran. She ran so Marius wouldn't touch her again. She ran so he wouldn't change her mind. She ran so she wouldn't become a burden. She ran pretty damn far, too._


	3. Volé Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _One foot after the other. Left, right, left, right. Step, step, step. Sprint, sprint, sprint. Breath, breath, breath._

 _Eponine was as stubborn as Marius was oblivious to her love for him. And she knew that. But, that sure didn't change her opinion. She wasn't going to let anyone spend any money on her that she didn't earn herself. Accepting help was showing weakness. And for a young woman who lived on the streets of Paris, that was not an option._

 _The urchin ran out of stamina for running sooner that she would have liked. Only when she stopped and began to walk did she realize the state of the world around her. Rain. Rain and rain and rain and rain. Usually, she would smile at the sky's tears. She would dance and drink them up like a butterfly to nectar. But, the air was so thick with it, she felt like she was standing in an ocean. And Eponine had never swam a day in her life._

 _The rain was colder than usual. In her life, it always had felt like little sun drops. Now, they felt like sharp icicles stabbing into her like daggers._

 _Eponine couldn't see the end of her nose. It was dark and cold and everything she heard sounded like it had gone through an underwater filter before it reached her ears._

 _She was very street smart for her young age. She always knew where to go and where to avoid. Which people to get on your good side and which ones to steer clear from. She knew every corner, every crevice of Paris._

 _But, as the rain lightened back to a comforting drizzle, she gazed at the streets around her and saw nothing but strangers and unfamiliar walls at every turn. Was she even in Paris?_

 _How long had she been trying to get away? It couldn't have been long enough for her to end up in an entirely different world. And yet, here she was._

 _Eponine looked around and walked over to an unoccupied corner. She slid down against the bricks and sat. She let the raindrops caress her as she wondered what to do next._


	4. Volé Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _Eponine was hungry. No, starving. She was almost too weak to get up. Almost. But, if there was one thing she had. It would be will power. When the morning light shone through, she picked herself up and used all the money she had stashed in her pocket to buy food. All the cash that was supposed to be used to purchase a flat._

 _As she placed those coins down onto the vendor's counter, she realized how her life was going to be from this point on. She was going to be able to pick pocket enough money to pay for food. But, that was all. She wouldn't die, but her dream of having a home again would._

 _Eponine was lost. She asked for directions to Paris quite frequently. No one was kind enough to even tell her where she was._

 _And she was alone. More so now then she had ever been. She had no family, no friends, and no Marius to talk to._

 _And so Eponine was homeless. And she was homeless in more than just the physical sense._

 _. . ._


	5. Volé Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Time. Time was something that Marius Pontmercy always believed he had. He imagined that time would forever and always be on his side. When he was little, he always believed that he would have time to finish his drawings before having to come downstairs when Monsieur Gillenormand called for him. In school, he always had just enough time to finish his assignments before they had to be turned in. He always thought he would have time to sort out his family troubles. Time to think. Time to do. Time to talk. Time to understand Prouvaire's poems. Time to learn. Time for France to come back from the shadows it lurked in currently. Time to live. Time to help. Time to help Bossuet with his awful luck. Time to help Enjolras write that one tricky speech. Time to help Grantaire with his drinking problem. Time to help Courfeyrac stay with a girl for more than a week. Time to dream. Time to think about what he was going to do in the future. Time to hope. Time to believe that one day their country will be free and the gamines would take hands with the queens. Marius always believed that he would have time to love.

He had no idea how fickle of a friend time really was.

Marius began to realize that time didn't allow him everything. He always thought he would have time to help that old man that was so kind to him. The one that lived in the corner behind his block. Yet time took him and buried him in the flowering meadows of the sky. He never saw that kind man again.

Marius half thought that time had taken someone else from him, as well. But, he still held on to his old beliefs. Maybe time just took them for a little while and would return them when it was done with them. But the longer and longer he waited, the more and more he believed that time had placed them among the sunflowers.

Marius Pontmercy had always been a little bit in love with Eponine Thenardier. Before, he always thought that he would have all the time in the world to tell her that. To tell her that the colors of the world sharpened a little bit when she was there. To tell her that he thought she was so much more beautiful than what everyone else said. To tell her that his version of Eponine never had scars or dirt on her face.

Marius wandered the city of Paris almost every night just to see if there was a glance of her. After that night that he let her get away, he never did. As much as he didn't want to believe it, it was almost certain that she had died of hunger. He knew that he wasn't right to blame himself, but, he did. He was the one who caused her to run, after all. If only he could have convinced her to take charity from him, she may have been standing with him right then.

Marius made a promise to time. He wouldn't rely on it anymore. If he had something to do, to say, to hope, to dream, to say, or anything. He would do just that. And if he by some miracle ever see Eponine Thenardier again, he would tell her those things. As soon as he found her shining bright eyes.

Yet, as he traversed the streets for the billionth time since that night, he found no light among the darkness. No twinkles among the dull eyes. No Eponine. Not for miles and miles and miles until the horizon disappeared and blackness spilled like ink.


	6. Volé Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The suitcase shut with a rattling bang. Marius looked around his room to check and make sure that he had packed everything he needed to. Everything he needed to go visit his grandfather in Marseille seemed to be packed away.

Not that Marius actually wanted to go to Marseille. Or see his grandfather at all. Monsieur Gillenormand moved to the city a while back, without even telling his grandson. One day, when Marius went over to his old mansion on his yearly visit, he knocked on the large doors and found a woman he didn't even know living there.

He picked up the leather suitcase and walked through his flat into the streets of Paris to wait for his carriage. It came almost immidiatley. As he climbed in and set his suitcase on the seat opposite him, he grumbled over how much he really didn't want to go to his grandfather's house.

When he was young, he looked up to him, wished to be him when he was older. He would copy the things he did, for young children are only copies of their parental figures. And as parental figures go, Marius was running a bit short. His father and mother were absent. Well, sort of. His grandfather had told Marius that his father had abandoned him when that hadn't happened at all. He was only told of how much his father cared about him after he had perished. Marius used to truly believe in Monsieur Gillenormand. But, as we become adults, the pedestals we place them on shatter beneath our feet.

Yet, despite all that, he still felt obligated to visit his grandfather at least once a year. He knew he was lonely and would probably enjoy the company. Marius felt that he had to repay his grandfather in some way. He felt he had to thank him somehow for raising him. He honestly didn't know why he still felt these things for him. Hadn't he done enough damage to Marius' life? Yes, but one does not simply let go of their fathers and mothers so easily. Especially if they are synthesized into one being.

Marius took a deep breath. He didn't want to keep mulling over these thoughts. All they ever did was go in an endless cycle. Never reaching a conclusion. He decided to think about something else. What was he going to do when he got back from the trip? He would have to resume classes, of course. He would also clearly participate in more meetings at the Musain. He knew there were still some members of the Friends of the l'ABC that he had yet to get to know well. Maybe he would make an effort to get to know Bossuet or Bahorel better. But, above all else, he knew that he would keep on searching for Eponine. The longer and longer time went on, the more discouraged he became. But, he wasn't sure if he would ever actually become discouraged enough to stop searching.

Even as he looked out the window of his carriage, he found himself scanning the filthy streets for a jewel among the sand.


	7. Volé Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Marius' day had felt like an eternity. Once he had gotten to his grandfather's mansion after he had stopped for lunch, he realized just how awkward this visit would be. Just like every other one. They would always just end up sitting in the living room reading books surrounded by tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Marius would be leaving in the late afternoon the next day. And he couldn't wait until he could step foot out of Monsieur Gillenormand's home and forget about him and the problems that came with him for another three hundred and sixty-five days.

Marius was lying down in a bed that was far to comfortable. And that bed was in a room that was far to spacious. The pillow his head rested on was too full of feathers. The walls surrounding him were too pristine. The blankets that covered him were too secure. Everything was nice and luxurious. Marius could hardly stand it. It also somehow deprived him of sleep.

But, there was one thing in the bedroom that was not driving Marius insane. To his right was an open window. The air coming through it was a biting frosty cold. Much like the atmosphere of the house. If one could even call it that. It was an imperfection. It was a blemish on the clean landscape. It was a blight.

The cool air coming from the window caused Marius discomfort. It made him feel cold. He was forced to pull another blanket on top of him. He tossed and turned to escape the chilling breath. And yet, despite it all, the cold seemed to be all that was lulling the troubled boy to sleep.


	8. Volé Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Marius' day was about as awful as the one before it. He could not begin to describe the overwhelming relief that came when he stepped into his carriage in the late afternoon. But, even as he felt the wind caress his face he could not be truly unburdened. He knew that when he got back to his flat he would have to deal with the horrors of schoolwork. But, he still tried to enjoy the comforting ups and downs of the carriage against the cobblestones before he unlocked that door once more.

The wind caused the lacy curtains on the windows to flutter, and they were annoying Marius slightly so he drew them and looked around outside. Something caught his eye. It was like a flitting butterfly wing, one minute there then gone. He didn't know why, but he felt he needed to see it again. He needed to investigate whatever it was. Marius shouted for the coach to stop. The carriage skidded a little bit. He hopped out and reassured the coach that he would be back soon.

As Marius walked towards the spot where he saw the apparition, he realized the _something_ was a _someone_. A figure. A person. But as his steps got closer and closer to it, he also realized that whoever it was, it was not someone familiar to him. No, he had never seen this person before.

Marius assumed this was some sign from God that he needed to help whoever this person was. He was not trekking through the nicest part of town, after all. Maybe this was someone poor that was meant to do great things. Maybe all that they needed was some funding that he could provide. Or maybe this person had already done great things. Maybe Marius was supposed to help them for they deserved to be helped. Maybe they had saved many many lives and in return they were to be saved themself.

Once he was only a few paces away the someone came into clear view. He was looking at a girl in torn clothes. She had matted hair and she was covered head to toe in filth and grime. Strangely enough, she seemed well fed. Her bones were not showing though her skin. That could not be said for the other inhabitants of this part of town. She was not facing Marius and seemed to be looking at something that was not really there. She was probably daydreaming. Marius thought that he was looking at a lost girl. Why would a girl like this be living on the streets? He did not know why but he felt as if she deserved more than that.

"Mademoiselle?" He saw long eyelashes blink behind that head of hair. And then she turned towards him. Marius' heart stopped when this happened. All the breath left his body.

The girl he was looking at held the title of Eponine Thenardier.


	9. Volé Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They just stared at each other for a good minute or so. Both were confused. Both were astonished. Both had found someone they thought they would never see again. And they both hadn't meant to do that.

Eponine was still in shock when Marius smothered her in a huge bear hug. She could hardly breathe. He did not let go for what seemed like infinity. He held on to her like if he let go, she would fly away again like a falling leaf. Like she would melt through his fingers and disappear down the drain. Marius didn't care how filthy she was.

He was actually ecstatic about her appearance because Eponine was the size of a normal human being. The size of someone who wasn't starving. Someone who ate at least a little bit everyday.

After an eternity, he finally let go and looked into her eyes that he so desperately needed to see. Eponine could still hardly move. But, there were little sprinklings of tears in the corners of her eyes. And a tiny little smile played at her lips.

"Where in the world have you been?" Marius finally spoke.

"I've been here. Right here in this little corner since forever. I've hardly ever left. Except to pickpocket money or steal food or actually buy food with the money I had stolen."

"Oh my God, Eponine, why didn't you come back to Paris?"

"I didn't know where I was. Still don't. Where are we?"

"Marseille. How did you even get here in the first place?"

"I honestly don't really know. That night you saw me run away, I ran this far. I had no idea." Marius starting crying now, as well.

"Oh, this is all my fault, I'm so sorry. 'Ponine, I'm so sorry." Her face hardened.

"No. No way. No way in hell are you taking the blame for this. It is everyone's fault. But not yours. All you did was try to help. It's my fault. My father's fault. My mother's fault. But not yours, Marius. Not yours."

"Wait," he looked confused, "I know your parents are awful, but, how is this more their fault than mine?"

"Marius," Eponine took a deep breath, "I may have lied about why I was homeless before." He cocked his head.

"You didn't run away? Did they kick you out?" Little fires of anger started to spark behind his eyes.

"I ran away, but there was reason." She looked down at her feat and began to talk in a far more quiet voice.

"My father wanted to sell me to the docks. So I ran." Marius was shocked. He knew that Thenardier was a gutter rat and nothing more. But, wanting to sell his own daughter into prostitution was inhuman.

He didn't know what to say. All of his thoughts had been jumbled when he had found Eponine. It was hard to think straight. But something as terrible as that had set his head straight.

He had an idea.

"Eponine," he grasped her shoulder, "will you please move in with me? I have enough room. Really." She looked shocked, as anyone would be.

"Marius, you know I can't except that offer-"

"But you can." He cut her off, "please, 'Ponine, I'm begging you. Please." She looked at him. Deciding.

"I guess I can't refuse your help any longer, can I?" And she hugged him.


	10. Volé Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The coach, for some reason, did not question why an urchin girl was boarding his carriage. He simply asked for the additional fee for another person riding. Thankfully, he did this out of site, and Marius was able to pay him discreetly without Eponine seeing.

The ride was bumpy, as it was before, but even so, the found girl still had the ability to fall asleep. As she nodded off, her head started to loll to the side. She fell on Marius' shoulder. He felt all the air suck out of him. But, the girl wasn't fully asleep. Without realizing it, she tried to get into a more comfortable position. She ended up resting her head on top of her hands on Marius' lap. He still couldn't breathe.

Marius was absentmindedly drawing his fingers through Eponine's hair. After a while, he was able to regain his breath and started cursing the road below him. What if it woke Eponine up? She probably needed sleep desperately. What on Earth had she been doing for all that time? He was worried but at least he could make sure she was safe now. She would be living under the same roof as him, after all. A tiny grin tugged at the corners of his mouth at this thought.

Little did he know that Eponine was not asleep at all. She was actually just trying to slow her breathing. Taking constant deep breaths and closing her eyes gave off the illusion that she was fast asleep. She tried to savor his fingers slipping through her matted hair.

Once she deemed herself calm enough, she spoke up, eyes still closed. "Marius," he jumped a little bit, surprised that she was awake, "how did you find me?" He blinked for a second, then answered.

"I didn't mean to, actually. I was visiting my grandfather yesterday and I was heading back. Then, out of the carriage window I saw something that caught my eye. I left the carriage and came over to you. I didn't recognize you at first actually.

"Well, I'm glad you did."

"So am I." They were both smiling.

"Has anyone actually been searching for me?"

"Yes! Of course! I have! The whole Les Amis really." Eponine was slightly surprised at this.

"Monsieur, you just said Paris. Where specifically would you like to go?" The coach asked.

"The Café Musain, please." Marius smiled, "I'm sure everybody there would like to see you."

"Like this?"

"What do you mean, 'like this?'"

"Marius, I haven't washed my hair in like a thousand years." He didn't stop running his fingers through it.

"You look perfect."

"You think 'Chetta will be there? Maybe she can fix me up."

"'Ponine, you look really healthy and I'm glad. You look well fed." She laughed a little.

"Don't patronize me, Monsieur. I stole enough to keep myself fed. It's not hard. For me, anyways."

"Well, why were you starving before then?"

"I was saving up all my money to buy a flat. You can guess I didn't do that this time. All my money went towards keeping me alive. I had no shelter. That little corner where you found me was my home."

"I-"

"Monsieur, Mademoiselle, we have arrived at the Café Musain."


	11. Volé Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Marius opened the carriage door and helped Eponine out. She had the biggest smile on her face when he opened the door and shouted over all of the noise of the Musain, "Look who I found!"

Heads of students, friends, and waitresses turned to see a lost girl found. Some were uninterested, not knowing who Eponine was. These were patrons that had started to come after her absence. But, most people in the quaint little café jumped right out of their seats to greet Eponine.

Bahorel was the first to reach the urchin. He immidiatley put her into a choke hold and messed up her hair even more than it already was. "I'm so glad you're back, sport!"

"Can't, breathe-" Eponine managed to get out.

"Oh!" He let her go, "so sorry about that."

Combferre was in actual tears. "Oh, my God, Ep', we thought we'd never see you again. I thought you were dead." She hugged him fiercely. She was crying now, too. No one saw that Marius was as well.

When she finally let him go, Courfeyrac came up and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and gave a huge grin to Eponine. "You're not dead! Wonderful." Enjolras was coming up behind him, so she didn't see Courfeyrac signal for Marius to come and talk to him.

Even the marble statue was moved by his good friend's return. He held out his hand. She shook it. "Happy to have you back."

Feuilly came up behind him and grabbed Eponine's two hands in his and kissed both her cheeks. "Please please please never do that again. Do you have any idea how much stress you caused all of us!" She laughed, still crying. "I promise that will never happen again."

Grantaire pushed everybody aside and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You have gotta stop messin' with our heads, Ep'. Hey!" He looked down at her healthy body. "You look like you actually ate something for once!"

"You're drunk!" She said laughing.

"Aren't I always?"

"Eponine!" Prouvaire exclaimed.

"Jehan!" They hugged for a good minute. He was straight sobbing.

"You've grown!"

"I'm seventeen, Eponine, of course I've grown." They laughed and hugged once more.

"Doesn't change the fact that you're the youngest."

Bossuet, being as unlucky as he was, stumbled into her. "Oh! Sorry about that!"

"It's alright, Bossuet."

"We're ecstatic to have you back, by the way."

Finally, Joly appeared behind him. His hands were in his pockets. He kissed her cheeks. "I would hug you but-"

"But, he's recently discovered that people are some of the dirtiest things on the planet and his new year's resolution was to touch less humans with his hands."

"Hang on a second, I'll go grab 'Chetta." He went into the other room and brought out the frizzy-haired girl. She smothered Eponine in a bear hug.

"We are going to go to the salon across the street and get you fixed up. And you are going to tell me everything and I am going to tell you everything."

Eponine was laughing as Musichetta dragged her out of the café. She felt wanted. She felt happy. And Eponine wasn't really sure if she had felt those things to that extent before.


	12. Volé Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Marius sat down in a rickety seat in the Café. He felt at home in the little cozy building. But, he felt even more at home knowing that Eponine was safe and well. There was a little smile on his face the rest of that day that didn't cease to stay on his lips.

Lost in his train of thoughts, the Pontmercy boy did not realize his friend Courfeyrac sitting down next to him.

"So," he started, "how'd it go?" Marius blinked, not processing the question.

"How'd it go?" Courfeyrac repeated himself.

"How did what go?" He thought Marius was joshing with him.

"You telling Ep' about how you feel, idiot," he elbowed him. Marius' eyes widened. In all of the excitement and chaos and relief of finding Eponine again, he had completely forgotten about the promise that he had made to himself. The promise that stated that if he ever found her again, he would immediately tell her how he had felt in fear of losing her again. Time was not on his side any more, he knew that now. And he knew that he would have to change his plans due to that.

"I haven't yet," he stated, still flabbergasted. Courfeyrac was surprised.

"Really?"

"No."

"Well, she sure looked ecstatic enough. I was positive you had already let her know."

"What?" Courfeyrac chuckled a little bit and waved the question aside.

"Nothing. But you're going to tell her tonight, right." Marius gave a determined nod.

"Yes." He didn't mention how anxious he was that she wouldn't reciprocate his emotions. Or how worried he was that because of that, she would feel too uncomfortable to move in with him. And then he might loose his jewel in that sand all over again. Slipping right through his fingers into the swirling whirlpool of little tan grains.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Courfeyrac got up from the table to go and talk with the rest of his friends, but not before giving Marius a solid 'you got this' look.

When Marius was nervous, he twisted his hair. And he was definitely nervous. He kept mulling what he would say to her over and over in his head. Constantly editing it. Adding. Cutting it down. He was so unprepared. He needed days or weeks to prepare this romantic of a gesture. Not mere minutes.

And then she walked into the café. Musichetta by her side, she was laughing and smiling. She was wearing a simple dress and she looked good in it because her figure was _filled in._ No longer a skeleton. She wasn't gaunt. Her cheeks were rosy. She was clean. Her hair was slightly damp and had been brushed. She even had shoes. Nothing extravagant. But they were there nonetheless.

And Marius thought she was so much more beautiful than she usually looked. Not because she looked better, but because she looked happy with herself for the first time. Before that night, Marius hadn't realized that she always had an air of shame surrounding her because of how disgusting she thought she looked. That air was gone now. Marius thought she was even more gorgeous because she was, well, confident. And he wanted her to stay that way. And he would make sure of that.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he rose from his seat and headed towards the vision in cotton.

"'Ponine?" He tapped her shoulder. She turned around with the biggest smile on her face.

"Hi, Marius!"

"Can I-" He swallowed. Deep breath. "Can I talk to you, for a second?" She cocked her head.

"Yes, of course. Is something wrong?"

"No! Nothing at all!" He exclaimed, with a nervous air. They moved to a more secluded corner of the café.

"What is it?" The girl inquired sweetly.

Not meeting her eyes and fidgeting with his hands, he began his confession, talking a mile a minute.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time. I didn't think I would ever get the chance to tell you because you disappeared and now I have you back and I have to tell you or else I won't be able to live with myself." He waited for a response as he gazed intently at the rotting wood flooring. But Eponine was completely silent.

"I've kinda sorta been a little bit in love with you for a crazy long time." He squinted as he mumbled one of the most important things he would ever say. After moments of silence between the two, he finally gained the courage to look up at her face.

Her eyes were unreadable. Too many emotions. Her mouth was shaped into a shocked smile. Small tears wear running down her cheeks.

She tackled him in a bear hug. He was starting to cry a little, too. He didn't know how he felt. All he knew was that his heart had never beat faster and that he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

When she finally let go, he lent in and kissed her. He had imagined kissing her so many times, but her lips were even softer than he had thought. After a moment of shock, she kissed him back and Marius knew he would protect this girl in his arms for forever and she would do the same.


	14. Volé Author's Note

Author's Note

Hi guys!

I'm so sorry to keep y'all waiting for the last chapter. That was really cruel of me and I apologize and I have basically no excuse.

Anyways, I hope you really liked this story! I put a LOT of time and effort into making it as good as I possibly could. Let me know what you thought!

If y'all have any ideas for more Les Mis fanfiction or a sequel to this or the other Meponine story I wrote, I would love to hear them.

I'm planning on publishing some RWBY fanfics or Riverdale fanfics on here, and if you have any ideas for those, I would also love to know.

Thank you thank you thank you so much for reading! I love you guys!

\- Maybelle 3


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